Archive for September, 2010

Officials at this week’s UC Counselor Conference confirmed that after two years of reduced enrollment targets, it will be another tight year for freshman admission. Most UC campuses will have enrollment targets that are similar to last year, but UC Santa Cruz is over-enrolled by about 100 students and will be more selective this year.

Four campuses – Davis, Irvine, Merced and Santa Barbara – will again guarantee admission to students who are Eligible in Local Context (ELC). Students who are in the top four percent of their class will be notified of their ELC status in the next month.

Students who want to try the SAT or ACT again can take the tests as late as December. You only need to send scores to one UC campus and they will be available to other campuses.

Most UC campuses will use waitlists again this year to manage enrollment, though only Davis and Santa Barbara actually took students from the waitlist last year.

While students who will be applying to enter UC in 2012 (current juniors) won’t be required to submit Subject Test scores, some campuses may recommend Subject Tests for students applying to certain majors. For example, engineering schools are likely to recommend the Math 2 exam.

The average cost of attendance at UC this year is $29,450. While this is still less than the sticker price of most private colleges, merit scholarships can reduce the difference. Families that can afford it may find that the personal attention at a small college is worth the additional expense, especially for students who thrive in a more nurturing environment.